One of Clancy's best, even though he did not write it. This book is a real gem. It is filled with intense action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story alternates between moments of calm and then suddenly explodes with excitement. It's as if Clancy himself had penned it. The pacing is perfect, drawing you in and making it impossible to put down, especially near the end. It truly lives up to the high expectations that I have come to associate with Clancy's works. The characters are well-developed and the plot is engaging. I highly recommend this book to all fans of action and adventure. It's a must-read for anyone who loves a good thriller.
It's a rather decent thriller that fans of the Splinter Cell series are likely to enjoy.
The book goes to great lengths to assure the reader that, indeed, this is the same Sam Fisher from the video game. Virtually all of the in-game equipment makes an appearance, such as the SC-20K with its sticky shockers and airfoil rounds, disposable lockpicks, the OPSAT, and of course, Fisher's goggles.
An interesting departure from the game is that the story is told in the first person by Sam. Even the video game isn't in the first person. I was excited to learn more about the man behind the goggles.
Unfortunately, Sam remains largely a blank slate. There is none of the usual lighthearted banter between him and the rest of Third Echelon in the book. Sam is extremely formal with Lambert, always addressing him as "Colonel." Grimsdottir is nowhere to be seen, and Sam is mostly on his own during missions. His sub-dermal implant is used perhaps only 3-4 times throughout the entire book, and only for brief conversations.
We learn very little about Sam Fisher's personality. He lives alone, has no social life or friends, and seems quite content with that. While Sarah plays a prominent role in the book, it's clear that any emotional development between the two has already occurred in the past. Sarah begins and ends the book loving and adoring her father. She is his only real friend or family. In fact, I learned more about Sarah than Sam. Her role in the book, nevertheless portrays her as a strong, confident young woman .
Fisher is voluntarily celibate because he doesn't want personal relationships to interfere with his work. He rebuffs the advances of his middle-aged Krav Maga teacher due to his fear of commitment, given his divorce from Regan and her subsequent death.
However, we learn nothing about what drives Sam Fisher to serve his country. What is his purpose for devoting his entire life to his job? It's not blind patriotism; Fisher has a few complaints about US foreign policy, including the then-recent invasion of Iraq. It's not a love of espionage; Sam disliked his time in the CIA and doesn't seem to get much enjoyment from his missions.
Sam has few flaws to speak of, but at least he never comes across as overly perfect. He sometimes makes mistakes on missions - although they are usually quickly resolved - and his skills as the first Splinter Cell aren't constantly emphasized, so he's not presented as a larger-than-life hero like James Bond.
Overall, the plot, while highly predictable, still remained strong and simple enough to keep me entertained without having to keep track of a million character arcs. Splinter Cell may never reach the heights of the original Tom Clancy works, but it holds its own as a decent addition to the larger Clancyverse. And it's far better than most of the Jack Ryan, Jr. books.